MIRNEWS.416    7 APRIL 1998

2nd Spacewalk (EVA) 25th Main Expedition MIR:

The EVA took place on 6.04.1998 between 1127 and 1550UTC (duration 4 hrs 23
mins.) The crew accomplished the main task: the strengthening of the lateral
structure of the damaged solar panel on Module Spektr. They succeeded in
fastening the 1.5 meters long splint. The cosmonauts had to use every effort
and the work lasted longer than planned. They had to work under very
unfavourable circumstances. Due to a malfunction of a ground facility for the
Altair-2 satellite they did not have this satellite at their disposal and the
quality of the communications via tracking stations was bad.

So in fact two reasons to cut short the EVA: tired cosmonauts and unwarranted
communication gaps. But the cosmonauts did not want to stop and the authorities
on earth badly needed an EVA which was 100% successful.

And then there emerged a 3rd reason to stop: the roll (movement along the X-
axis) of the station had to be adjusted to align the complex with the sun. This
had to be done with the VDU (the external thruster in the Sofora mast). The
experts still expected to have some drops of fuel, but there was nothing left.
It was impossible to use an alternative: the thrusters of the module Priroda,
as the only person who could give the command for that operation, Andy Thomas,
was not trained to do so.

The unfavourable angle of the complex towards the sun was risky for a lack of
power supply might influence the functioning of the gyrodynes and cause other
imponderabilia.

So the spacewalkers got orders to return to the air-lock and do that quickly,
because they had to be on board to be able to take measures to take care of the
attitude correction.

During the first direct pass over my position (orbit 69286, 1556-1603UTC) the
cosmonauts were in the air-lock and had already started the pressurizing
process. It was clear that the cosmonauts were very tired: they were breathing
heavily and they could hardly speak.

The cosmonauts had to go to the Base Block as soon as possible for the attitude
correction.

The original plan foresaw in work at the Rapana girder and the old VDU. They
had to postpone that work until the 3rd EVA.

The geostationary Altair-2 is operational again. On 7.04.1998 during orbit
69300 there was a long TV-session in which the 3 cosmonauts could be seen while
a cheerful Musabayev was reading out good whishes and congratulations. Possibly
the international participants in the excursion by the Bauman institute were
able to attend this session during their visit at TsUP.

3rd EVA: This EVA is on schedule for 11.04.1998 from 1005UTC. Planned duration:
approx. 6 hours.

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.